86 Class Progress

Ok, I know most of you are eagerly awaiting the Tangara, but Ive done a bit more work on the 86 Class instead. One of the reasons Im posting this early (on Sunday afternoon) is that I plan to work on the Tangara this evening, and I can post another update later.

Ive been inspired recently by a collection of photographs that were sent to me. These show the 86 Class cab in great detail. First there was the one from Robbo, which helped enormously, and probably started the whole thing off. It was much better than anything that I already had, and got me started on detailing the drivers side of the cab.

Recently Chris from HET sent me several photos, and asked what else I needed, so I gave him a list and he sent me several more. Many thanks to both of you. Together with photos from magazine back issues, I now have the cab covered from every possible angle, and I have been working on it whenever I get the chance.

At the moment Im a little stuck because the interior does not match up with the exterior as well as I would like. Both are true to the plans, but sometimes when you are modelling you have to throw out the plan and just build it so that it looks right. Im currently in the process of matching the two sections together. The problem is basically that there is too much distance between them, making the window sills and door trim look too wide. I need to move the interior walls closer to the outside, which is complicated at the front by the angle of the front windows. Im making slow progress.

In the picture you can see the drivers side of the master controller, showing the recess where the reverser handle will be, and also the observers controls, where the park brake and pressure gauge will be. There is also a cutout for the hotplate which will be added later.

As I mentioned before, I have been considering whether the finished 86 Class will be payware or freeware, and I have realised that until it is complete, I cant easily weigh up what has gone into it. I have a lot planned, but it all depends on how well the script comes together, and I cant even start on that until I have the model built, textured, and imported into Trainz. I will make the final decision once I have a better idea of how it is all coming together, but you should know that I am leaning towards payware for this one, especially if my plans all work out. Even so, it will be well worth the low cost.

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